Torture
by YellowRocksMySocks
Summary: Beth is kidnapped and tortured for information. Why is Medicorp so concerned with what she knows? Or doesn't know? Will the Avengers find her before it's too late? Read "Virus" or a conversation won't make sense...
1. Where's the Snake Pit?

**HEY! I am sooooooooooooooo sorry for going M.I.A. for a million years. I have been working on a new story though, and it's going to be long. Here is the first chapter! Any suggestions for this and other stories are greatly appreciated!**

"Tell me everything you know! Now!" the man yelled and backhanded me in the face. I contained the scream trying to rip out of my mouth and spat blood on the floor.

"I told you, I don't know anything." I slowly say, the pain increasing with every word. I tried to wriggle my hands out of the ropes, but they were stuck tight.

"It's okay if you won't tell me now. I've got all the time in the world." he replied, cracking his knuckles.

"Cliché villain-talk much?" I snarkily ask. "Should I be worried about a snake pit or evil robots? Look, I really don't know anything. Just because I live with the Avengers doesn't mean I get to hear all of their super-secret superhero stuff..." I try to explain, and receive another slap to the face.

"Don't get cheeky with me, foolish girl! You don't have to tell me now." he said. "We'll just keep you here until your little family shows up. Or until you die, whichever comes first." he threatened.

I spat again and licked a cut on my lip, which was promptly swelling up. Two more men walked in the dark room, undid my ropes, and blindfolded me, and then proceeded to drag me through some hallways to a dungeon-y cell thing. They threw me down on the cold concrete next to a nasty blanket and some sketchy puddles. I struggled to sit up and rubbed my wrist.

"See you in the morning my dear..." the man said in a creepy sing-song voice and left. I shuddered and crawled the five feet to the other side of the small room. Upon closer examination the puddles were apparently blood. An animalistic noise escaped my throat and I began hyperventilating. _This can't be happening...This can't be happening...This can't be happening..._I repeated over and over. _I'm really gonna die here...they won't be able to find me..._

After a long while I had calmed down enough to fall into a fitful sleep. I had wadded up the blanket and used it as a pillow, purposefully not thinking about what could possibly be staining it.

* * *

A loud crash jarred me awake. I shot up and glanced around until I remembered where I was. One of the men who threw me in here was at the door. He had a crowbar, and I guessed he smacked it against the bars of my cell.

"Bathroom break." He said. "Get up." He ordered me. I painfully stood up and followed him to a room down the hallway. It was an impossibly small bathroom, but I was just glad there was one. I closed the door, and I could tell he was still standing outside. When I went to wash my hands, I saw that there wasn't any soap, so I scrubbed my hands under the lukewarm water for a long time to try and compensate. This gave me time to notice a tiny, dirty window. A little sunlight was able to peek through, so I knew it was daytime. _I've been here a whole day already..._ I mused.

After being escorted back to my cell, I saw that a glass of water and some bread had been set down on a plate in the corner of my cell. I sat down next to it. I sniffed the bread. It didn't smell funny, like poison or anything, just stale. I tentatively nibbled on the small hunk. It didn't taste weird and I didn't start gagging or foaming at the mouth, so I ate the rest quickly. I did the same with the water. Nothing happened, but I chose to sip it slowly and saved about half to drink sporadically. _Who knows how often I'll be fed..._

I sat up against the wall. I memorized the pattern of stains on my ceiling for what felt like hours. I stood up and stretched my legs, and also examined my surroundings. There were multiple cells in the hallway I was in, and even one connecting to my left. I was against the wall on my right side. The only light sources came from a dim bulb flickering in front of the bathroom and one down the hallway. The bathroom was about ten feet away, and another door down the other side of the hallway. _That must be the only entrance or exit. _I thought.

_Clint would be proud of my observations._ I thought with a small smile. A while back, the Avengers taught me some strategies for if I ever got in trouble. _"Always observe your surroundings. It can help you escape later on." _He had instructed_._ I didn't really pay him much attention at the time.

The thought of my family made tears flow freely down my face and I went to sleep with tears soaking the blanket.

* * *

I was woken up some time later. I had lost all concepts of time by this point. The same man who took me to the bathroom was at my cell again.

"Follow me." was all he said. I gulped and trailed behind him. We stopped at the door. "Put this on." the man ordered, and handed me a blindfold.

"Wh-what?" I stammered, instinctually shrinking against the wall.

"Put. This. On." he said, his voice ten times more gruff than before.

I sucked in a breath and fumbled with the blindfold until it was around my face. The man grabbed my right arm and began dragging me so forcefully through hallways I cried out. After a few minutes, he shoved me down into a chair and ripped the blindfold off. I was momentarily blinded by a light overhead. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw that I was in the same room I was interrogated in earlier. _This can't be good. _

The man tied my arms back again, so violently that I felt skin break on my wrists and bleed. I didn't bother to protest. I turned my head farther to my right, and saw a small cart with what could only be described as "instruments" on it. I shuddered.

"Hello again." the man who beat me the other day said. I whipped my head around. He walked up to me and grabbed my face, turning it.

"Please...I really don't know anything." I pleaded with him. "I don't even know what you want me to know..."

He let go of my face. "Ah yes, you're right...just stabbing you over and over without getting down to specifics won't really get me what I want. Tell me, what do you know about Medicorp?" he asked, and picked up a scalpel-looking thing from the cart, and almost casually flung it into the wall. It stuck straight out and wiggled a bit before remaining still in the plaster.

My eyes flew open wide and I whimpered. "Uh...All I know is that it is a pharmaceutical company that creates vaccines and medicines...that's it I promise you, that's all I know!" I begin to sob. "Please stop...If the Avengers knew anything else, they didn't tell me. Why am I here?" I asked, sniffling and coughing.

He laughed a chilling laugh. "You know what? I believe you when you say you don't know anything...but you'll find out why you're here soon enough." He said. He turned to his henchman standing attention at the door. "Take her back to her cell. We are done for now."

The man holding me hostage walked out of the room without another word. His goon untied me and blindfolded me again, and dragged me back to my cell. He didn't throw me down this time, which was a plus. I thought about what the man had said, about Medicorp. _Why would he hold me hostage over a pharmaceutical company? And what did he mean about how_ _I'll find out why I'm here soon enough. That's not exactly comforting..._

I scooted over to the corner of my cell and sat against the wall. I picked up the leftover water in my glass and took a microscopic sip before pouring the rest over my bloodied wrists. It stung horribly and I sucked in a breath. I grabbed the blanket and went to sleep, exhausted.

* * *

I woke up a while later after the henchmen banged the crowbar against my cell. I stood up.

"Bathroom break." He said, exactly like the last time. I walked to the door and went inside. After doing my business, I stood on the toilet and rubbed some of the dirt off the window. A skyline in the distance. I was surprised. I thought I was in the middle of nowhere. I didn't recognize any buildings, like the Space Needle or Empire State Building, so I still couldn't figure out where I was.

I stepped down, careful not to make any noise so the man wouldn't figure out what I was doing. I scrubbed my hands under the water and left the bathroom and walked back to the cell. This time the man just watched me take the ten steps or so to and from the restroom. _Interesting. Maybe he realized that I'm not much of a threat._

I came back to another hunk of bread and a glass of water. They only gave me this two times a day, and I was starving by this point, and wolfed down the bread. I still saved half my water though. I thought about where I could possibly be until I dozed off.

* * *

I was sitting in the corner of my cell again, using a nail I found to etch designs in the wall. I refrained from the cliché tally marks, deciding it was too depressing to begin counting the days I had been kept here.

Suddenly, the two men burst through the entrance door dragging somebody else through the hallway. They were putting up a noisy fight, whoever they were. I numbly watched, the lack of food and water taking its toll on my body. I was exhausted. They threw the person in the cell next to mine and left without a word. The person groaned and sat up.

"Gah!" He yelped after seeing me watching him. "Who are you?" He asked, crawling over to the bars connecting our cells. They were wide enough apart to where he could reach through.

I crawled over to meet the mystery boy. "I'm Beth. I live with the Avengers." I quietly said. "I've been here for awhile. Why are you here?"

He sat back. "I have no idea. This man had me tied to a chair-"

"And was asking you to tell him everything you knew? Asked you about Medicorp?" I interrupted.

"Uh, yeah. Exactly that." He replied. "Why did they kidnap us?" He asked, dumbfounded.

I chuckled. "I know they kidnapped me because I live with the Avengers, why did they take you?"

He sighed, realization passing over his face. "My mom is a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. Maria Hill."

I gasped. "No way! I've met her. Come a little closer so I can see your face..." I requested.

The boy scooted closer to the bars. I studied his features for a moment and then it clicked. "Hey! We know each other! We met at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Ball a while ago!" I exclaimed. "You're name is Joseph, right?"

He laughed a little. "Oh yeah, I remember you, Beth. Yep, my name is Joseph. We danced and Thor walked over and told us we made a "most excellent couple"..." He said and laughed.

I burst out laughing too. "Oh yeah! I had forgotten about that!" I said.

After a moment the laughter stopped and we remembered where we were. We fidgeted for a bit. "Did he hurt you?" I finally asked.

Joseph shook his head. "Nope. He just screamed a lot...how about you?"

I scooted as close as I possibly could and gestured to my lip and I showed him my wrists. He sucked in a breath.

"He slapped me a few times and threatened to stab me. The second time he dragged me in there his friend tied the ropes so tight it broke the skin." I answered. "By the way, you get a hunk of bread and a glass of water twice a day. And a bathroom break twice too. That room over there has a toilet and sink, but no soap. I haven't had a shower since I've been here. There's a window in the bathroom. I looked outside and saw a skyline in the distance. Not a familiar or easy to recognize one."

"So we could be anywhere in America, really?" Joseph replied. "Excellent."

"Oh, and sarcasm will get you nowhere with these guys." I add. "I gave him some attitude when I first got here and I'm pretty sure that's why my torture has gotten worse..." I say and limply lift my hands.

"Noted." Joseph said. "Basically keep quiet and cooperate or get tortured..."

"Pretty much." I agreed. "I think the reason he kidnapped us is because he wants to know if the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. knows anything about Medicorp. I've had time to mull this over, and I've come to the conclusion that Medicorp is doing highly illegal and/or dangerous things and thinks S.H.I.E.L.D. or my family is close to finding out."

Joseph nodded. "That makes sense..." He agreed. "How long do you think they will keep us in here?" He asked staring into my eyes with trepidation.

I sighed. "I have no idea. I've pleaded and pleaded the truth that I don't know anything, but he's just not believing me."

Joseph lowered his head. After second, he spoke and met my gaze. "I'm sure they're looking for us though." He smiled a little. "You don't just steal the kids of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second-in-command and the Earth's Mightiest Heroes' roommate..."

I chuckled quietly. "How's the other side of the bars?" I asked and gestured to his cell. It contained the same nasty blanket as mine.

Joseph genuinely laughed and examined his cell more closely. "Nice and roomy. With a wonderful bed." He replied and gingerly picked up the blanket.

"If you don't think about the stains you fall asleep faster." I said with a grimace. On cue, Joseph yawned.

I smiled and yawned in reply. "Get some sleep. You'll need it once the starvation kicks in." I suggested and wadded up my blanket.

Joseph did the same. We lied down with the tops of our heads almost touching the bars between our cells. We didn't speak, but just listened to the sounds of each other breathing, unfathomably thankful for each other's companionship.

After what felt like a few minutes, Joseph broke the silence. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, Beth?" He tentatively asked.

"Yeah?" I opened my eyes, but remained still.

"I...I'm really glad you're here with me. And that we are going through this together." He stated, and shifted a little.

I smiled. "I'm really glad that you're here with me, too." I replied, and closed my eyes just a little less scared.

* * *

The loud clang of the crowbar woke us. We both shot up from where we were sleeping.

"Bathroom break." The goon said. "Ladies first."

I glanced reassuringly at Joseph before getting up and exiting my cell. I came back to see two plates of bread and two glasses of water. Joseph left, and even though I was famished it seemed right to wait for him to return.

He came back a few minutes later, and the henchman left without a word. Once he was gone. Joseph quickly turned to me.

"I know where we are!" He whispered excitedly. I picked up my chunk of bread and began to nibble. "We're outside of Cleveland. We have relatives who live there and we visit every year for Christmas." He explained and began to nibble on his piece of bread.

I grinned, happy to be making progress. "Oh! Medicorp's headquarters is in Cleveland!" I add.

I noticed that Joseph began gulping his water. "Hey! Stop chugging it!" I say and point at him.

Joseph realized what he was doing and put the water down. "Oops...at least I have half of it left..."

I chuckled. "You're going to want to save about half each meal. For cleaning wounds, and just in case you get thirsty." I suggest, and pour the rest of my glass through my ratty hair. "And, for attempts at bathing. I've also been trying to take quick sink baths during the bathroom breaks..."

Joseph laughed at my dripping head. "Good idea." He said. "So, what do we do now? Sit here and wait until he takes us to be tortured for information we don't have?"

I sighed. "Basically." We shifted positions and put our backs against the other's through the bars. "At least we have each other..." I say in a jokingly sappy voice.

Joseph laughed. It was loud and ringing, and I liked it because it cut through some of the bleakness of this hellhole.

* * *

Joseph and I swapped stories from our experiences with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers at an attempt to distract ourselves. We heard the door open at the end of the hallway. My stomach dropped and my wrists started stinging at the sound. Joseph stood as the henchman approached our cells.

He unlocked the door. "Come with me." he gruffed and pointed a meaty finger at Joseph.

Joseph glanced at me, his eyes wide with fear as he stepped out of his cell.

"Don't put up a fight." I reminded him. He nodded at me before the henchman threw the sack over his head. _At least I got to blindfold myself..._I thought as I watched the henchman shove Joseph along.

I remained in the same position. I guess I had gotten more used to the lack of food because I wasn't super tired, but I did have a headache. I wondered about if my family or S.H.I.E.L.D. were getting any closer to finding us. It seemed like an eternity before I heard the door open again. The goon ripped the sack off of Joseph and pushed him into his cell. Joseph fell to the ground like I did, but he didn't immediately get up.

My pulse quickened. "Joseph?" I asked, grabbing the bars between our cells.

He groaned and stirred a little before struggling to push himself up. Relief flooded through my body. "What did they do to you?" I asked quietly. He scooted over to me. I gasped.

There was a gash on the side of his forehead, and a lot of blood on his face. "He kept on asking me about lawsuits against Medicorp for 'unlawful experimentation'... After I told him that I didn't know anything for the thousandth time, he...clubbed me over the head." he answered in a low, shaky voice.

I grabbed my leftover water. "This will sting. I'm really sorry." I warned and began drizzling it over the cut while trying to wipe some of the blood off his face. Joseph sucked in a breath and clenched his fists. I poured the last drop over his head, and held his face while trying to wipe off as much blood as I could with my thumb. I ran my fingers through his wet hair to try and squeeze the blood out. After a bit the gash wasn't too bloody, and I could see that it wasn't dangerously deep. I could also see how tenderly I was touching him, but I told myself it was just for medical purposes.

I set my empty cup down and wiped my hand on my jeans. "Luckily, It's not too deep. You won't even need stitches if/when we escape." I told him.

Joseph turned around and grabbed his saved glass of water and carefully pushed it to my side of the bars.

I shook my head. "I can't take your water, Joseph." I said, and pushed it away.

"You need it more than I do." he countered and set it down on my side. He looked at me expectantly until I gave in and took a tiny sip. "Thank you. For everything." he said, and continued staring at me.

I looked down at the water and was taken aback by the blush I felt appear on my face.

"I'm going to sleep. I think it's been about a day since we were woken up. Goodnight, Beth." Joseph announced. He wadded up his blanket and lied down parallel to the bars. I silently did the same, trying to sort through the feelings that suddenly came over me. _Compassion. Need? Attraction_? _Nope! I don't think so! You took care of him and he gave you the rest of his water. No big deal. We are just trying to survive. Nothing more._

It took me a second to realize that without the bars separating us, Joseph and I would be in a _very _compromising position. My face burned even more. I was startled by Joseph's fingers suddenly touching my own in the gap between the bars. I flinched away slightly, and felt Joseph stiffen and retract his hand. I returned my hand back to where it was. After a moment, he clasped my hand in his bigger one. My breath caught. I slowly turned my head to see him do the same. We stared at each other without speaking for forever, taking in the other's face.

I realized that Joseph was very, VERY handsome. Even with the poorly disinfected gash on his forehead. I noticed that he had deep blue eyes. I swallowed. _What's happening?! You can't fall in love at a time like this! _I screamed in my head, but my eyes were too busy studying the pattern of freckles on his nose.

He squeezed my hand, and my gaze shot back to his. "When." he said. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Earlier you told me I wouldn't need stitches if and when we escaped. As far as I'm concerned, it's when. They'll find us. We're right outside Cleveland for goodness sakes', not in the Amazon. We will get out of here, I promise." he declared, and stroked my hand with his thumb.

Fireworks exploded in my brain and my face somehow got redder. I grinned. Truly grinned. I squeezed his hand in reply. "When." I agreed. "When..." I repeated more quietly, and we turned our heads away from each other. I fell asleep with my hand still in Joseph's.

* * *

I whipped my head around, a bad feeling in my stomach. I felt like somebody was watching me, but all I could see were the same old trees dotting the park and the same old guy selling snow-cones from his cart next to the fountain. I sped up a little and continued looking around. What started as a normal shortcut through Central Park was turning sour. Even though I still didn't see anybody creepy, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed. I stopped by a tree next to the path and pulled out my cellphone to call Tony.

Before I could dial, a giant hand placed a rag over my face. It smelled sweet and slightly like rubbing alcohol. My phone dropped out of my hands and everything went dark.

"AHHHHH!" I shrieked. I sat up and frantically scooted away from where I had been sleeping next to Joseph. My chest was heaving and I wildly glanced around before focusing on Joseph and remembering where I was. It wasn't much better than my dream.

"It was just a nightmare, Beth." he comforted. "You're here with me."

I rubbed my eyes. "I think I just remembered _how_ I got here. Do you remember being kidnapped?" I asked. Joseph shook his head.

"The last thing I remember was walking through a retention pond behind my school to get to the McDonalds..." he answered with a dry laugh. "Nothing about actually getting kidnapped."

"I didn't either, until now. I was walking in Central Park, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed. I was about to call Tony to fly down and meet me, and then somebody covered my mouth and nose with what I am assuming was a chloroform-soaked rag. And, here I am." I finished explaining.

"Well, I guess we at least know how we got here. Kind of." Joseph said.

"I suppose. Let's go back to sleep. We would have been woken up by now if it was time." I hypothesized and re-wadded my blanket after it had been flung during my panic.

**See the box right down there?**


	2. Learned From the Best

**Here is the second chapter from the Avengers' perspective! Enjoy and please keep the lovely reviews coming!**

"This just doesn't make sense!" Tony yelled, and threw his hands in the air. All of the Avengers were seated in the dining room. "Beth is a smart kid; she wouldn't go wandering around in shady places."

The Black Widow spoke up. "Then, whoever kidnapped her was highly trained. Everyday kidnappings by average people don't go unnoticed in broad daylight. We are dealing with somebody dangerous."

Steve set down his coffee. "Let's call Fury." he stated. "They obviously knew who Beth was, and her importance to us and her connections with S.H.I.E.L.D. This wasn't random; whoever took her needed her for something."

Clint grabbed the remote and punched a few buttons. "On it."

A few moments later, a hologram of Fury's face appeared on the wall.

"Hello Avengers. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Director Fury asked with his usual snark.

"Beth has been kidnapped." Thor bluntly said. "In broad daylight by someone highly trained. We have not an idea as to why she would be taken."

Fury's eyes widened slightly. He swallowed. "Board the Quinjet and fly immediately to headquarters."

* * *

"Beth was not taken at random. There was a purpose behind her kidnapping. Hill, care to explain?" Fury said. Agent Hill stepped forward and faced the hologram screen. There was a picture of Beth along with various stats and records. A picture of a teenage boy with brown hair and blue eyes popped up.

"You all know my son Joseph. He was also taken about 15 hours later. You said Beth was taken around yesterday afternoon?" Maria turned around.

"Yes. She was taking a walk through Central Park. Sometimes she will take a shortcut back to The Tower through there. But, she always stays on the path and in sight of other people..." Bruce explained.

"Same with Joseph. He meets friends after school and cuts through a retention pond behind his school. It's very open and isn't in a bad part of town." Maria added.

"So, there must be some connection between the kids. It's certainly no coincidence that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second in command's son and the girl living with the Avengers were both taken around the same time. What could Joseph and Beth have in common?" Steve asked.

The group was silent for a moment. Suddenly, Thor slammed his fist on the table.

"I recall how the children are connected!" he exclaimed. "Remember the glorious ball we attended? Joseph and Beth danced together, and I spoke with them. Perhaps the children connected with S.H.I.E.L.D. are being targeted…" he suggested.

"That makes sense." Tony agreed. Everyone nodded their heads. "Now that we know how they are connected, the next question is why they are being kidnapped? We can only assume that the other kids are at risk as well. Who would want our kids, and why?" he spoke.

Nobody had an answer. Fury cleared his throat. "I'll get every analyst and researcher we have to look at every enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D. to try and find somebody who would kidnap your children. For now, there's coffee in the break room. I'm so sorry this has happened." He said and left the room.

* * *

Thor broke another practice dummy with his hammer. He had been in the training facility for hours. He roared and threw Mjolnir into the wall, and several chunks of plaster fell to the ground and crumbled.

An arrow whizzed through the air and stuck right next to the hammer. Thor whirled around to see Hawkeye nimbly climbing down from the rafters. He walked up to the taller man.

"Frustrated?" the archer asked, and sighed. "Me too, big guy." The pair sat down on the mats.

"There is not someone to hit this time. I cannot defeat this enemy with my strength, and I am not used to that. Until we discover where Beth and Joseph are, I can do nothing to save them…" Thor said. He was silent for a moment. "I am terribly worried, Clint. Even though we have trained Beth a bit for combat, she is not ready to take down men twice her size or to withstand torture. She…she could die." He said, his voice really low.

"She's already died once." Clint said with a chuckle. "I'm sure she isn't planning on dying again anytime soon. I'm worried too, Thor. Right now, the best thing we can do is keep looking for answers, no matter how exasperating it is."

* * *

Steve idly swirled a spoon in his coffee while reading the newspaper. They had been here three full days already, without any new information pointing to Beth or Joseph. The lights of the break room hummed a little, and he was thankful for the noise to cover up his worried thoughts. Skimming through the paper, he found an article about a company called Medicorp, which was sued for accounts of unlawful experimentation.

"What whack jobs…" Steve muttered. Words and phrases popped out on the page as he read further, such as 'dangerous new chemical', 'DT-78X', 'deadly side effects', 'disastrous results on humans'. He shook his head. Suddenly, a name appeared that he was surprised to see. _Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. __S.H.I.E.L.D._

Steve left the room and went in search for Agent Hill. He found her in the meeting room, surrounded by holograms of documents, pictures, and a few videos. Some had Beth or Joseph in them. She stood still in front of a picture of her and Joseph for a moment before flinging all the holograms to the side, causing them to disappear. Covering her mouth with her hand, she sat down in one of the chairs and stared at the table.

"Hill?" Steve asked, and sat down in a chair next to her.

"Rodgers." She murmured a greeting. "You never think it will happen to your kid, you know? Not once did I look down at his face when I rocked him to sleep or when he would come home from school and think that anything bad would happen…" she said, and a few tears ran down her face.

Steve set the newspaper down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Maria. I can only understand a fraction of what you must be feeling, since Beth isn't even my daughter. They are good, smart kids who learned from the very best. I even bet that they are together and trying to escape. We will find them, I promise." Steve said.

Agent Hill smiled a tiny bit. "They did learn from the best…What's with the newspaper?"

Steve flipped to the page he had read earlier. "What does S.H.I.E.L.D. have to do with the lawsuits against Medicorp?" he asked.

"They were experimenting on humans with dangerous chemicals. Kind of like A.I.M. with Extremis. We swooped in before they accomplished really anything. Unfortunately, a few people died. We were never exactly sure as to why they were experimenting…" she explained.

A moment passed before Steve and Agent Hill looked at each other. "They want revenge!" they said at the same time. Maria pressed a button on the table's keyboard.

"Fury and the Avengers. Report to the Meeting Room immediately." She commanded over the intercom.

* * *

"Captain Rodgers stumbled upon some vital information." Maria announced. She pulled up the article from the newspaper along with other pictures and documents from the lawsuits.

Steve stood up. "I was reading the paper when I saw an article about Medicorp. Apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. arrested this pharmaceutical company on charges of 'unlawful experimentation on humans'. They were injecting people with a chemical called DT-78X. It caused horrible mutations and eventually, death. Luckily, S.H.I.E.L.D. destroyed their remaining supply and shut down their facility. We believe Medicorp wants revenge, so they took our children." Steve explained. "How they were able to track and kidnap Beth and Joseph is a whole other story, however. But, at least we have a place to start."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Are there any other facilities that are still operational?" he asked.

Fury spoke. "Not that we know of. The facility we destroyed was the main test facility. And, we have been keeping close tabs on their headquarters right outside Cleveland." he sighed. "But, I guess not close enough. We should start our search there."

"So, what's the plan? I'm assuming Beth and Joseph are being kept underground. They won't be at the front reception desk." Natasha said with her usual sarcasm. "I think we should scope the place, get a person on the inside, and then storm it if we have to."

"I agree." said Thor. "Simply running in with weapons raised would not do justice. They might kill Beth and Joseph if we aren't careful."

Fury stood. "Alright then. Natasha and Clint will pose as FDA agents coming in for an unannounced inspection. They will find Beth and Joseph, and we will be on standby in case an offensive force is need for their rescue. That good with everyone? Not like I'm asking or anything..." he commanded.


	3. No Crowbar?

**Here is Chapter 3! Please give me any comments or suggestions!**

I woke up and lazily opened my eyes. Sitting up, I yawned and stretched. I blinked a few times, and then it hit me. _No crowbar._

"Joseph!" I exclaimed and poked him as hard as I could through the bars. "Wake up!"

He yawned and propped himself up on his elbows. He groggily stared at me before his eyes flew open. "Why weren't we woken up?" he asked, quickly sitting up and facing me.

I shook my head. "I have no idea." I answered. "And, I have a bad feeling about it. Every other morning a guy has come to let us out for a bathroom break. Why not today? These guys wouldn't just forget..."

"Yeah. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. " Joseph agreed. We sat in silence for a long time, our backs against each other on the bars. I busied myself with fraying the hem of my shirt.

The door burst open. We both jumped and turned to each other, not saying anything.

The henchman walked in with two sacks in his meaty hand. He unlocked both of our cells.

"Put these on." he commanded and held out the dirty sacks. Joseph and I looked at each other one last time before pulling the sacks over our heads. The man gripped my arm tight and pulled me along, but it was less forceful than before and I could actually walk for myself. The amount of footsteps I heard told me that Joseph was walking along with us. _Are we being tortured together now? Or...killed? _I thought to myself.

After a really long time of being guided through the hallways, the man opened a door and pushed us through. Joseph and I both stumbled before falling to the ground. Somebody picked me up and thrust me in a chair. It felt like a chair you would sit in at the dentist. Instead of ropes, I felt metal braces being closed around my ankles and wrists. The sack was ripped off my head, and for a moment my eyes adjusted to the brightness.

I looked around to see Joseph in a chair just like mine. The room, however, was very different from the grimy and dark room we had been tortured in. It looked like some sort of medical facility, with different tables, instruments, and chemicals all around the white tiled room. The goons who had fastened us to the chairs had disappeared. _What is going on?_

I studied a table covered in syringes and vials of various sizes and colors. Previous conversations filled my head.

_..."He kept on asking me about lawsuits against Medicorp for 'unlawful experimentation"..._

_..."You'll find out why you're here soon enough."..._

Then it hit me. I knew why Joseph and I were here.

I turned my head to look at him. "Joseph." I said, my voice shaking. "I know why we were kidnapped. And, why we are in this room right now. Remember when the man asked about those lawsuits? About the illegal experiments Medicorp was doing?" I swallowed the bile attempting to escape my throat.

Joseph's eyes widened. "We're the experiments..." he whispered.

I nodded. The door opened. The man who had tortured us strolled in wearing a lab coat and gloves.

"Hello kids!" said in his creepy singing voice. "We are about to have some fu-un! You see, S.H.I.E.L.D. ruined my last science project. Destroyed my fancy tools and stuff." He grabbed a syringe off the table and filled it with a yellow liquid. "So what if I killed a few innocent people? It was for science! I wanted to improve what A.I.M. had tried to do. I wanted to make super-powered people, just without the little combustion issue their guys had." He animatedly said. The way he spoke reminded me of The Joker.

He held up the syringe and flicked it a few times. "But S.H.I.E.L.D. ruined everything!" He yelled, almost tantrum-like. "Luckily, they didn't think about our headquarters. Guess what? We've been underground this whole time. All of Medicorp's normal business has been going on above us the entire time you've been here."

He set the syringe on a little cart and pushed it over in between Joseph and me. There were various medical supplies on it. Bandages, gauze, tubes and needles.

"So. I had to get revenge somehow. I couldn't let what S.H.I.E.L.D. had done go without consequences. And, who would be better to kidnap than the son of Nick Fury's right-hand-woman and the sweetheart of Avengers Tower? So, I had some people follow you around for a few weeks. Spy on you and your families. Easy for me, you both have walking routes you take nearly daily."

The man turned to Joseph. "By the way. Your mom is real-ly pret-ty..." He sang.

I shivered. Joseph spat at the man, hitting him on the cheek. He shrieked and wiped it off with some gauze from the cart.

"Don't you DARE talk about my mom!" Joseph shouted and struggled against the brackets.

The man tossed the gauze to the side and slapped Joseph hard across the face. "I guess you're going first!" He exclaimed and picked up the syringe.

"This here, ladies and gentlemen, is DT-78X. Like Extremis, it gives the recipient the ability to spit fire and increased strength. But, I have developed a formula that doesn't include the user exploding. And, I can even control your actions! Basically, the real you will be fighting inside as you watch your body destroy and kill! Exciting, isn't it?" He explained with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

He wrapped a tourniquet band around Joseph's arm and rubbed the top of his hand with an alcohol swab.

"Any questions?" He asked, and looked around the room as if he had an audience. Joseph and I just glared at him.

"No? Perfect. Let's get started."

He grabbed the needle and brought it towards Joseph's hand. Joseph began struggling against the brackets, but they were too tight.

"You're going to feel a little pinch." The man said with a grin, and thrust the needle into the vein. He squeezed the syringe, emptying it quickly.

Joseph's hand turned yellow, and then the color traveled up through his arm. I didn't see it reappear until his neck, and then it disappeared. Joseph looked at me, shaking and sweating.

"Beth!" he screamed. The whites of his eyes began to turn yellow. "Whatever happens, I'm...I'm-AAHH-I'm sorry. You get out and-and find help!" he finished.

A lump formed in my throat and then began pouring out my eyes. "No!" I shrieked. "Please! Fight it! You can fight it!"

"I'm sorry..." he said one last time. Joseph suddenly stopped shaking and his head lolled to the side. His eyes were closed.

"NOOOOOO! JOSEPH!" I screamed even louder, sobbing. I tried reaching for him with no avail.

The man was filling another syringe with the DT-78X. "Oh stop your crying!" he scoffed. "Just be patient...he will wake up..."

I sat there, sniffling and shaking for a few minutes. Joseph didn't move. Suddenly, he shot his head up and looked to me. His blue eyes were replaced with a solid yellow. I gagged.

He smiled a sick, twisted grin. "I feel amazing Beth. You're going to love this." he spoke. He wiggled his fingers and cracked his neck. "I feel the power coursing through my veins like fire..."

"No! Joseph, please! You can fight this! C'mon! For me! For your mom!" I shouted. "Don't! Please!"

He chuckled. "But, I don't want to fight it. You'll see."

The man stepped closer. "See? He gets it." he said. "The things you'll be able to do...I can't wait any longer! Your turn, little lady!" he exclaimed and wrapped the tourniquet band around my right arm. I didn't struggle.

The man raised an eyebrow. "No fighting back? I'm surprised." he commented. "You were so stubborn earlier. All the sarcasm and will to survive. What happened?" he asked in a mocking voice.

A tear ran down my face. "I've given up." I said, my exhaustion and depression taking over. "Joseph's gone, along with any hope I have of escaping. You're going to be controlling my body soon enough...I just hope my family doesn't find us. They won't want to kill me no matter what you make me do. Let's get it over with." I finish, my voice cracking.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I heard the man sigh. "Well. I thought you would be feistier. How disappointing." he said. I felt the cool moisture of the alcohol swab on my hand.

"You'll regret this." were my final words.

"Mmm." The man hummed. "I really don't think I will..." He replied.

I felt the prick of the needle, and then the chemical began making its way to my head. Its burning warmth traveled through my arm and side, but I didn't flinch. I wanted to stay strong in the face of danger one last time. When it hit my brain, it felt like a force was trying to push my own conscious thoughts away out of my mind.

When it felt like my soul was just about extinguished, my eyes opened of their own accord. Everything I saw had a yellow haze about it, almost like I was looking through cellophane. I could still feel my consciousness, but it was very weak and felt in the background of my head.

"What would you like us to do, Master?" my mouth asked. _No! Noooooo! Stop! _I thought. _Fight this Beth! _but it was no use. I wasn't in control.

"Break your shackles." He commanded.

My head turned to Joseph. I felt my mouth grin. Joseph grinned back.

I looked down at my hands. Using barely any force, I broke out of the brackets and stood up.

The man smiled. "This is where the fun begins..." He announced.

* * *

I punched through the brick wall like it was nothing. I pulled back my hand and examined my knuckles. Not even a bruise. I picked up a cement block between my thumb and forefinger and flung it into another wall, as if it was a whiffle ball in pee-wee sports.

If my inner consciousness wasn't fighting for survival, I would have been impressed.

Joseph and I had been taken to some sort of training arena. It had all the toys a couple of newbie-mutants could want. My head looked over to Joseph, who was busy spitting fire onto the walls. My inner self still found it hard to look directly into his opaque yellow eyes, but _my _yellow eyes didn't. My legs ran over to join him.

"Watch this!" he exclaimed. Joseph scrunched his eyes shut for a moment, and then wrote my name in red and orange fire on the wall in front of us. "Beth" burned in crude letters.

"Lovely penmanship, Joseph!" the man congratulated as he strode up behind us, placing a hand on each of our shoulders. "Have you been enjoying your playtime?"

"We have, Master." Joseph and I replied at the same time. "Thank you."

The man laughed. "Somehow I knew you would say that..." he said. "I have a message for you two to write like Joseph did here. And I would like to take a video, if you don't mind." he instructed, and held up a camcorder.

The whole time we "wrote", I was screaming inside. I somehow felt sick to my stomach inside my mind without my body feeling the effects.

"Scoot in a little to the left, Joseph..." the man said and waved his hand. "Aaaannd-perfect! Okay. Just smile and wave at the camera. Ready? Three. Two. One. Action!"

Joseph and I were standing side-by-side and holding hands. The free ones were constantly waving as we grinned. If it was possible to vomit inside your mind, I would have been. I couldn't bear showing off what we had written.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. WILL PAY." was scrawled in child-like letters behind us.


	4. Wonderful Penmanship

**Sorry for this short chapter! Also, I won't be writing very much for a while since I have a big dance show in three weeks! Love y'all!**

The Avengers were "suiting up" in the meeting room. Steve pulled his mask over his eyes. Clint and Natasha polished their weapons, already in their disguises as FDA agents. Tony was busy making a few last minute adjustments to his helmet. Bruce and Thor, already wearing and holding what was necessary, wandered around offering help to the others.

Everyone was about to board the jet when someone began scrambling S.H.I.E.L.D.'s communications system.

"What's going on?!" Fury shouted as he ran over to Agent Hill, who was frantically pressing buttons and entering in codes.

"Sir! Whoever they are, they're breaching our security measures! It appears that they are trying to send a video!" she replied.

Suddenly, a window popped up on the giant hologram screen. It was static for a few moments, and then an image began coming into focus.

"It can't be..." Thor exhaled, nearly dropping Mjolnir in surprise. Everyone else was silent and still.

Beth and Joseph were in the bottom corner of the screen. They were holding hands and waving continuously. Behind them, the words "S.H.I.E.L.D. WILL PAY." were burning on a wall. Suddenly, the video shakily zoomed in on their faces. Beth and Joseph's eyes were a solid yellow color.

After about a minute of capturing the teenager's sadistic grins, the video turned to static before disappearing from the screen.

Agent Hill choked back a sob. Clint grabbed a chair and threw it into the wall. Nobody bothered to stop him.

"Can we trace the video's location?" came Bruce's soft voice. "It appears that their kidnappers aren't worried about staying hidden."

"Already on it." Tony replied as he furiously typed on the keyboard. The only sound in the room was the patter of the keys. "And...Done."

A map of the US appeared on the screen, and crosshairs pinpointed to Ohio. The map zeroed in on an area right outside of Cleveland.

"At least we know for sure that they're at Medicorp's headquarters..." Steve commented.

"All right. Since we don't know exactly what has been done to Beth and Joseph, we need to proceed with extreme caution. They're under their kidnapper's influence, so I am sure they will try to attack you. Continue with the plan as normal. Good luck." Fury instructed.

* * *

After the man filmed us, he sent us back to our dungeon. He had told us to stay put, because the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. will be here "at any moment". My legs took me back to my cell. We sat back to back again, but this time, it didn't feel right to my inner consciousness. Joseph held my hand through the bars, and my soul hated it. It wasn't right. The man had said to "remain close" to each other.

We remained in that position for hours. My inner consciousness nearly broke. I was screaming and screaming for by body to stand up, to let go of Joseph, to escape using my new powers, but I remained motionless.

It was an eternity before I heard alarms go off in the building above us.


	5. Medicorp, Please Hold

**This story is getting closer to it's end! Please please PLEASE send me other story ideas to I can write after this one...**

Clint and Natasha strode through the front doors of Medicorp's headquarters. Clint was in a suit, and Natasha wore a simple blouse and pencil skirt with black heels. The pair wore wigs; Clint's being black and Natasha's being blonde, in order to further disguise them. They walked up to the front desk.

"Hi! How may I help you?" an entirely too perky receptionist asked the pair.

"Hello. I am Agent Lawson and this is Agent Weaver with the FDA. We are here for an inspection. "Clint said, and he and Natasha showed the woman their badges.

"Ah. I see. Mr. Davenport will be out in just a moment!" she replied and held a finger to her headset. "Medicorp, please hold. There is a waiting area right over there. Medicorp, please hold." she said, and pointed to a few chairs and a coffee table a few feet away.

"Thank you." Natasha said. She and Clint sat down. They pulled out tablets and began typing on them as if preparing for the inspection, but in reality were sending messages to each other.

_When he comes out, I'll ask to see the samples of the drugs. Once he takes us there, we will continue with the plan. _Natasha wrote.

_Sounds good. Can I be the one to knock him out? _Clint asked.

Natasha's lips quirked into a small smile. _Fine by me. I really hope Beth and Joseph are okay. Be ready for anything._

It was Clint's turn to smile. _I always am._

A man walked up to the assassins. "Greetings. I am Mr. Colin Davenport. I understand you are the FDA here for an inspection?" he said and shook Clint and Natasha's hands.

"Yes sir. May we see the testing of the samples first?" Natasha asked.

The man's eyes darkened an amount that only Clint and Natasha could see. He smiled. "Yes. Of course."

The trio walked through the hallways, and Clint and Natasha asked various FDA-type questions and "typed" on their tablets. Mr. Davenport led them to a door at the end of a long hallway.

He reached for the knob, and suddenly turned around, holding a gun up to the superheroes.

"Did you really think I wasn't expecting you?" he asked and laughed.

"Nope. But you aren't expecting this." Clint retorted, and promptly knocked the man out with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Mr. Davenport crumpled to the ground.

"That was disappointingly easy. My comeback was great, however." Clint commented and cracked his neck.

Natasha chuckled. "Wanna stash him in that storage closet?" she suggested. The pair threw Mr. Davenport's limp body into a broom closet. Natasha kicked the doorknob, bending it and effectively locking him inside.

"Let's find the kids." she said, and Hawkeye and the Black Widow went through the door at the end of the hall. They stopped when they got to the other side. Their surroundings went from immaculate and office-like to dank and made of concrete. The new hallway was dark and dripping water could be heard a ways away.

"You'd think he wouldn't lead us to his kidnappees..." Clint remarked. "Something tells me they are being kept somewhere down here."

Natasha nodded. "Yep." she agreed, and they stealthily moved down the hallway. Natasha held out her pistols, and Clint had de-collapsed his bow out of the "briefcase" he had stored it in. The hallway was long and winding. Finally, they came to an intersection.

"I'll go left; you go right?" Natasha asked. Clint nodded and went his direction.

The Black Widow came upon a door after about a minute. She peered inside the grimy window. There were a few jail cells at the end of the hallway. Upon closer examination, she saw what looked like two people inside, sitting close together. A low chuckle sounded behind her. Natasha turned around to face a giant henchman.

"Hey pretty lady. You lost?" he asked in a gruff voice, repeatedly slapping a crowbar into one of his palms.

"Nope." Natasha replied, and swiftly leaped onto his shoulders and thigh-choked the man into unconsciousness.

She shoved his body to the side and pressed a finger to her earpiece. "Clint. I've found them." she whispered into her communicator, and a few moments later Clint appeared. He looked at the henchman slumped on the wall.

"Thigh-choke?" he asked, nudging him with his foot.

"Obviously." Natasha replied.

Clint winced. "Poor guy." he said. Natasha smirked.

"Beth and Joseph are inside, sitting together in what looks like a jail cell. They're most likely trained to attack us. Ready? Three, two-" Natasha said, and kicked open the door, weapons raised.

Running over to Beth and Joseph, she shot the locks off their cells. Clint stepped inside Beth's.

Beth and Joseph didn't move. Or even blink. They just sat there, back to back and holding hands.

The assassin's pulses quickened. "Are they...?" the Black Widow began, but didn't want to finish.

Clint crouched. He saw Beth was breathing. He sighed in relief. "Nope. They're breathing. Just put in some kind of trance by whatever is making their eyes solid yellow." he replied, and poked Beth in the shoulder. She didn't respond. Natasha stepped into Joseph's cell, and tapped him on the head.

"Definitely in a trace." she agreed.

An alarm sounded in the building above. "Crap. Should we-" he began, and was suddenly interrupted when Beth kicked his feet out from under him.

Joseph and Beth stood up at the same time. "You shouldn't have come for us. We will kill you." they said in sync.

The assassins' eyes went wide. After a second of stillness, chaos broke out. The teenagers lunged for the master assassins. Natasha and Clint blocked their strikes, and tried to hurt them as little as possible while still defending themselves.

"We need back-up! Now!" Clint shouted into his earpiece while stopping punches from Beth.

"On our way!" Steve replied. We're already locked on your exact location!"

Hulk busted through the wall with a mighty roar. Thor flew in and set Captain America down as Tony landed. More of Davenport's goons rushed in the doorway. Steve flung his shield and knocked all of them out.

"I'm guessing they know we're here?" Tony yelled over the alarm.

He ran over to pry Joseph away from Natasha. Joseph stopped for a moment and spat fire at Tony.

"Hey!" he screamed and reared back, a little bit of his shoulder plate melting. "That's just like..." he said, and fell to his knees shaking.

"Bruce! Knock Tony out of his panic attack please!" Natasha yelled.

The Hulk stepped inside the building, causing more rubble to fall down from the ceiling. He grabbed Iron Man by the waist and shook him a bit and roared in his face. Tony didn't react, so Bruce tossed him outside.

Thor grabbed Joseph by the shoulders and spun him away from the Black Widow. "Joseph! JOSEPH! Listen to me! Fight this! Regain control!" he attempted, but Joseph broke free from his grasp and began attacking the demigod.

Beth was busy rapid-fire punching Clint, and he was blocking everything. Steve threw his shield and hit Beth in the back of the head. She stopped trying to hit Clint and slowly turned around. Her yellow eyes burned bright with anger.

"Hello, Steve." she said with an evil smile on her face. Cap just stood where he was. Out of nowhere, Beth belched fire at Steve, who lifted his shield just in time.

"I don't want to fight you!" Steve screamed from behind his shield. "Beth, please! Fight this! I know you can!"

Suddenly the stream of fire stopped. Steve lowered his shield. Beth's face was twitching and scrunching in weird ways, and her hands were shaking. She blinked a few times, and Beth's blue eyes reappeared.

"Steve?" she asked, as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep. A tremor racked her body and she threw her head back. Beth looked back at Steve, her eyes yellow once more.

"The man is in control, Steve." Beth said, her voice turning robotic again. "There is no hope. The Beth you knew is gone. Forever." she said and laughed.

"I don't think so." the super soldier replied. He swallowed, and tossed his shield at Beth again, knocking her out. Clint grabbed her and threw her over his shoulders.

Thor was able to knock Joseph unconscious as well. He grabbed him the same as Clint.

"Everyone! Back to the jet!" Captain America ordered. Clint and Thor ran out first with the unconscious teenagers. Steve followed.

Mr. Davenport burst through the door with a gun. "Where do you think you're going?!" he screamed. He shot at the Hulk, who grabbed him like a rag doll.

"Not a good choice." the Hulk growled, and tossed Davenport against the wall with enough force to crack the concrete. Davenport flopped to the ground, his neck broken.

The Avengers boarded the waiting jet and flew back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Beth and Joseph were thrown into a holding chamber. They remained unconscious the entire flight.

**Just drop some suggestions right in there!**


	6. Watching the Traffic

**SOOOOOOOO sorry for the extra-long absence. I am on the dance team at my school, and our big show was this past weekend, so I have been extra busy preparing for it these past few weeks. Here is another chapter, and please send me possible ideas on how to continue this story and ideas for new stories. Thanks again for being such faithful readers!**

My head was about to explode. My mind felt like it was being cooked. All I could think or feel was heat. It wouldn't stop. The pressure and warmth threatened to split my skull. My inner thoughts were nothing but anguished. Just when my barely-intact consciousness thought I was going to die, my mind experienced a sensation not unlike slamming into a brick wall.

My eyes fluttered open, but my vision was blurry. Everything was too bright. My mind was fuzzy, and I couldn't string together coherent thoughts. Just a blur. I closed my eyes against the confusion. After a while, I opened them again.

No yellow haze. At all. My thoughts were no longer constantly being shoved into the corner of my mind. It was only me in my head.

I blinked multiple times and wiggled my fingers, relishing in the fact that _I _made them do that.

It took me a moment to notice where I was. I was in a hospital bed, connected to many tubes and needles. There were multiple IV's in my hands and arms, along with an oxygen tube in my nose. I turned my head to the right as best I could to see Joseph laying in a bed next to me with his eyes closed, hooked up to the same stuff that I was. The steady beep of the monitors was the only sound in the room.

My family was nowhere to be found. The last four times I had woken up in the hospital, I wasn't alone.

"Joseph?" I croaked, and was startled by the scratchiness of my throat. I struggled to prop myself up on my elbows, the countless tubes getting in the way. I coughed and tried speaking again. "Joseph?" I asked, but no response came.

I felt around for the remote on the bed. Pressing the help button, I fell backwards, already weakened from the miniscule amount of physical activity. My eyes closed again.

"BETH!" Thor shouted. My eyes popped open. He ran into the room. "YOU'RE AWAKE!"

There was a flurry of activity as the rest of my family, along with Fury and Maria ran up to my bed. There was a lot of shouting and I couldn't really process it.

Bruce must have noticed that I was overwhelmed. "Hey! Give her some space!"

Everybody took a step back. "What happened?" I rasped. "How am I normal again?"

"We were able to extract the DT-78X from your brain..." Tony trailed off suspiciously.

I coughed. "How?" I asked, becoming worried by the second.

"We had to slice into your cerebellum, which is the part of your brain that controls movement. And, extracting the DT-78X was a difficult process. You've been asleep for a little over a week..." Bruce answered, ringing his hands. "If it makes you feel any better, I was in the operating room the whole 20 hours..."

I swallowed, and gently touched the top of my head. I could feel the shaved spot and the stitches.

"Oh." was all I could let out. I slowly lifted my finger and pointed at Joseph. "Did you do the same to him?" I asked, letting my hand drop.

"Yes. But, there was some...internal damage." Bruce answered, avoiding my eyes.

I looked at Agent Hill. Her eyes darkened and she clenched her jaw.

I swallowed again. "I see." I replied. "Can I have some water?" I asked, my throat still scratchy.

"Of course!" Steve exclaimed and found a stack of paper cups next to the sink. He poured me a glass.

I took tiny sips and avoided eye contact. I was still trying to wrap my mind around all that had happened. I only could remember bits and pieces of my time under the influence of the DT-78X, since my thoughts had been so suppressed at the time. And, probably also because of the extra-long siesta.

"What exactly do you mean by internal damage?" I asked, pursing my lips.

"The needle slipped during the extraction process and punctured Joseph's hippocampus." Natasha explained bluntly.

My eyes widened. "The part of the brain that stores memories..." I say. "I guess Anatomy was useful for something. How severe is the damage?"

"We don't know yet. Joseph has been asleep since." Clint answered.

"Okay. So we wait, I guess?" I say.

"Pretty much." Tony replied.

* * *

The next two days were pretty uneventful. Time cycled between sleeping, eating, talking with everyone, and waiting for Joseph to wake up. My IV's were removed but I still had to wear the oxygen tube. I had a wheelchair with the tank on the back, since my leg muscles were still pretty weak.

My blood pressure was being taken when we heard coughing from Joseph.

"Wha...?" He mumbled, and saw Agent Hill. "Mom? Where am I?"

We all stood there in shock, except for Maria.

"Joseph!" She shouted and ran over to him. Tears were running down her face as she hugged him.

After a while Joseph was able to focus more and his speech was becoming more coherent. Doctors and nurses came in a few minutes later and checked him over. After they left, I wheeled over to Joseph's bed.

"Hey stranger." I said, and cracked a smile. "How's controlling your own thoughts treating you?"

Joseph focused on my face and stared at me for a moment. A puzzled expression contorted his features.

"Who are you?" He asked.

My stomach dropped. It got hard to breathe. _No. NO. _"Joseph. It's me, Beth." I say, and begin to cry. "Please. I'm Beth, remember?" I plead and grab his shoulder.

Joseph's eyes widened, both at my hysteria and at my touch. "I'm...I'm so sorry...but I have no idea who you are...Beth?" He said, but my name sounded foreign coming out of his mouth.

My mind shut down but tears still poured out of my eyes. I had lost the one person who could relate to me. Joseph was essentially gone. My hand fell limply in my lap.

He stared at me, an apologetic look on his face. Nobody spoke, unsure of what was going to happen next.

A sob erupted in my chest as I wheeled out of the room.

I rolled down the hallway and had almost reached the elevator when somebody grabbed the back of my wheelchair.

"Beth!" He yelled, and spun me around so forcefully I almost flew out of the chair. It was Steve. "Please calm down. You're making a scene." He said, his voice firm.

I pushed his hands

* * *

off my shoulders and started wheeling away. "I don't wanna calm down!" I shouted as I rolled away. "Joseph's gone! I'll make as big of a scene as I want!"

I turned the corner and got into the elevator, pressing the top floor button with an angry jab. The last thing I saw was Steve staring at me, a mixture of annoyance and pity on his face.

* * *

I found a large window in a deserted hallway and stayed there, watching the traffic below and trying to sort through everything. I felt extremely lost. My only lifeline was gone. I scrunched my nose around the oxygen tube and coughed. I wished I wasn't so weak. I felt the bald patch on my head and began to cry again. _Now I'm alone AND ugly..._

"Watching the traffic?" Clint asked, and sat down next to me.

I cracked the tiniest smile and sniffled, still staring out the window. "Yeah. Guess I shouldn't try hiding from a super spy..." I replied.

Clint chuckled. "I like watching the traffic too, anything from up high, really. I see better from a distance."

I sighed. "Was it super awkward after I made my dramatic exit?" I asked, finally looking at Clint.

He smiled. "A little. Joseph was bewildered, to say the least." he answered. "He can't help it, you know." he added after a moment. "It's not like he enjoys not remembering a girl who he obviously has a history with..."

My cheeks reddened slightly at the wording Clint chose. "This is the absolute worst. Joseph is the only one who has any idea of what I went through, and he doesn't even remember me. Only he knew exactly what happened to us, and now nobody does. Why couldn't he have forgotten who Tony was or something?" I say.

Clint laughed out loud. "You know, Joseph will be starting lots of therapy to try to cure his amnesia. I'm sure you'll be a part of that. I don't want to get your hopes up or anything because it might not work, but it's worth a try. Will you come back downstairs? It's time for your nighttime meds anyway."

I groaned. "Those are the worst! They're like giant horse pills or something!" I said.

Clint laughed as he wheeled me down the hallway.

* * *

Clint pushed me back into the room. It was dark except for the lamp in the corner and Maria was the only one left besides Joseph. She was sitting on the side of his bed and they were talking quietly. At the squeak of my wheels they turned to look at me. Maria smiled sadly and Joseph looked a little frightened.

"I'll let you get some sleep. Goodnight Joseph. Goodnight Beth." she said and closed the door, Clint following behind.

I silently rolled over to my bed and got in, struggling slightly from my weak muscles. Joseph studied me the whole time, while I avoided his gaze. After I finished adjusting the blankets around my oxygen tube, I finally looked at him.

He was concentrating really hard, his eyebrows scrunched with determination. I might have laughed if I didn't know that he was trying to remember who I was. After a moment of slightly awkward eye-contact, he sighed with frustration and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with his IV-ridden hands.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he exclaimed, his frustrating seeping into his voice. "It really sucks being told you're supposed to know who somebody is but not being able to remember anything about them. I'm sorry. I've been trying to remember all night. I've been saying your name over and over, hoping for something to happen, and it's not." he went on, his voice rising.

My heart clenched. "I'm sorry too. But, Clint said that you're going to start 'amnesia therapy', or whatever. So hopefully it will work." I say.

Joseph snorted. "Will they hypnotize me or make me talk about my childhood?" he asked.

I chuckled. "I have no idea, but apparently I'm most likely going to be a part of it. So, get used to seeing me around." I say, and press the remote and turn out the lamp.

"Goodnight, Joseph." I say, and turn over.

"Goodnight Beth..." he said. After a minute of silence, he added "I'm glad that we are going through this together."

I was glad that I had faced away from Joseph so he wouldn't see me cry. He had basically repeated what he had said to me our first night in the cells. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks. I heard his familiar snore a little later, and it lulled me to sleep.


	7. Get Well Beary Soon

**Here is another chapter! Please keep the lovely reviews and ideas for other stories coming!**

Joseph and I were woken up to our vitals being checked and the smell of breakfast tacos. Tony had said that he "absolutely wouldn't let us suffer eating hospital food".

After breakfast, we all played Texas Hold 'Em. Steve won by a landslide, much to Tony's dismay. Around 11:30, a lady wearing a lab coat and carrying a clipboard strode into our room.

"Hello everyone. I'm Dr. Rosetta. I am Joseph's therapist for his dis-associative amnesia. Could we have our first appointment in private?" She asked, but really commanded.

I was helped into my wheelchair and followed everyone else out of the room. I stole a last look at Joseph to find him staring at me with what was almost fear in his eyes. I smiled at him. His face relaxed and the door shut behind me.

* * *

Joseph and I were left alone in our beds that afternoon since the adults had superhero stuff to attend to. We sat in silence for a while, still feeling awkward. After a few minutes I gathered the courage to speak.

"How was therapy?" I inquired, looking at Joseph.

He cleared his throat. "It was okay, I guess. She asked me a ton of random questions about my life. After a long time, we could tell that the only things I don't remember are what happened to us and...you." He explained, pausing right before he finished.

I sighed. "How convenient." I said sarcastically.

"Yep." Joseph replied, popping the "p" extra hard. "How...bad was it? The whole thing?" he asked after a moment.

I swallowed, choosing my words carefully. "It was the most terrible thing I have ever been through in my life. And probably the same for you." My throat began to hurt and my eyes began to burn. "But I don't really want to talk about it right now, so...sorry." I finished, trying not to cry.

I could tell that Joseph noticed. "I understand. Whenever you are ready, Beth. I can't imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes."

I half laughed, half sobbed. "How could you be thinking of me at a time like this?!" I said loudly, covering my face with my hands. "You don't even remember who I am or where we have been the past two weeks! I'm the equivalent of a random stranger to you at this point!"

if Joseph was startled by my outburst, he covered it well. And when I took my hands out from behind my face, I could see that he looked hurt. Angry, even.

He sighed. "Just because I don't remember you doesn't mean I don't care about you." he stated, his voiced controlled. "We obviously went through some horrible trauma together, none of which the adults will tell me about. Not even my mom. Did you ever think about how this situation is affecting me? I woke up in a hospital bed with stitches in my skull!" he said, his volume increasing. I was frightened.

"And apparently I'm supposed to know you! It's the most frustrating thing in my life to look at you and not feel some familiarity when you obviously see that in me. So, I'm super sorry that I upset you with my amnesia..." he finished.

I stared dumbfounded at Joseph for a long time. _How could I be so selfish? _I cleared my throat.

"Joseph. I'm sorry. I have no right to be mad at you. I'm being completely thoughtless." I apologize. An idea pops into my head. "Want to wheel down to the cafeteria and get some Chick-Fil-A?" I suggest, trying to make up for what I had said.

Joseph smiled, putting our spat in the past. "Sure." he said, and then his face turned a little red. "But...I'll need help getting into my wheelchair. I'm not as strong as you yet...so..."

"Of course!" I exclaim. I gingerly get out of bed and sit in my chair. After wheeling around to Joseph's chair and pulling it towards his bed, I help him untangle his oxygen tube from the blankets. He slowly swings his legs over the bed.

"I've had two extra days on my legs. You can do this." I encourage. "Take my arm." I offer, and hold it out for support. Joseph latched on and was then able to slide off his bed and into his chair. After helping him situate his oxygen tank, we were off.

"Thank you. For everything." he said as we rolled side by side down the hallway.

"Don't mention it." I said with a small smile, trying to ignore the little twinge in my heart at the repetition of words from the night we held hands.

* * *

The next few days passed with relatively no new activity. We would wake up, hang out, and then Joseph would have therapy for an hour before lunch. After that, we watched a lot of movies until it was time for bed. Dr. Rosetta strode into the room as we were finishing breakfast.

"Beth. I would like you to participate in therapy with Joseph today." She announced.

I painfully swallowed my forkful of pancake in surprise. "Wow, okay. Great." I comment. "When do we start?"

"Now, actually." She coolly answered.

Not a minute later breakfast was finished and Joseph and I were staring curiously at Dr. Rosetta.

"Today, I want to try something new. Joseph has a type of amnesia that has a possibility to be cured if a memory is triggered. Beth, I want you to describe to Joseph a specific event from your kidnapping that you both were present for. Use as many explicit details as possible." She instructed. "Joseph. Close your eyes and imagine yourself immersed in the memory."

I wrung my hands nervously. "Uh, okay. You ready?" I asked Joseph.

He shifted in his chair and closed his eyes. "Yeah."

I took a deep breath. "Um, we had woken up by ourselves the morning we were injected with the DT-78X. Usually a scary guy would slam a crowbar on our cells. We were dragged down a long hallway with sacks over or heads. Then, we were dumped in a room. It was really bright and sterile. Some men restrained us in these chairs-like at the dentist- and metal cuffs were closed around our wrists and ankles. We were alone for a minute. And, we figured out that _we_ were the revenge Medicorp wanted. We were the experiments. The man who had tortured us strode in the door wearing a lab coat and gloves. He told us his plan and then...and then..." I falter, my breath shortening. I tried to calm down, but I felt the wave of terror well up it my stomach. I purposefully hadn't thought about those days since I woke up in the hospital. I swallowed hard.

"He told us that he had been spying on our families for a long time. He said something creepy about your mom and you spat in his face. He injected you with the chemical. You tried to fight it... you really did...but it was too powerful. You passed out. For a couple of minutes. When you woke up...your eyes-they were... I-I can't do this anymore...it's too hard..." I abruptly finish, taking in short, shaky breaths and gripping my chair with white knuckles.

"Beth, it's okay. You have PTSD. We can stop this exercise for now." Dr. Rosetta said with surprising compassion.

I had calmed down mostly by this point. "Okay..." I let out between my more even breaths. "Can we try something else?"

* * *

"I sure didn't think that something else meant painting..." I mused as I dabbed some green paint on the canvas. Dr. Rosetta had given us paint, canvases, and hour to "impress her".

Joseph laughed. "Yeah...this is kind of weird. I don't really see how painting will help me remember anything that happened..." he said, stirring his brush in the cup of water. "Beth?" He asked, and stopped stirring.

I paused, and looked up. Joseph was staring at me. Really staring. The same way he stared at me the night we held hands.

I blushed. He didn't seem to notice. "Yeah?" I asked, my breath stopping short.

"I'm really sorry that you had to talk about that today." he said. "I could tell that it was hard for you."

I swallowed. "Yeah, it was. But, if it means that you'll be cured of your amnesia, then I'll do it." I said with a microscopic smile.

Joseph smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. "What are you painting?" He asked, ending the conversation.

I turned my canvas around to reveal a crude picture of a farm. There was a barn, and an attempt at a cow and some chickens.

"Here's my best effort at a barnyard. What about yours?" I say with a chuckle.

Joseph's face blanched. He gulped. "Uh, I painted this..." He replied, and turned his canvas around to reveal what I assumed to be our cells. I sucked in a breath.

"I don't know how this came to me, but...it did. And, I don't remember where this is or what it has to do with us, but I can tell it means something..." He said staring at his painting, his voice shaking.

I pressed the button on the remote. A nurse came in almost immediately. "Can you get Dr. Rosetta please?" I asked. She took one look at Joseph, nodded, and left.

* * *

I was asked to leave so that Joseph could have a private session. My family and I went down to the gift shop. At first it wasn't very pleasant. It was a big area, but very crowded. There were a lot of whining kids and grumbling parents. The smell of burning popcorn coming from the obviously overworked machine was giving me a slight headache. I wheeled over to a section with Avengers-related merchandise. I chuckled.

I was examining the different plush versions of my family when I felt a tug on my sleeve. I turned my head to find a little girl with very curly brown hair looking at me with wide eyes. She gasped a little when she saw my oxygen tube.

I smiled. "Hi there. What's your name?" I asked cheerfully, trying not to scare her. I figured she had gotten separated from her family or something.

She blinked a few times, gathering up the courage to speak. "My name is Emily...and I lost my daddy..." she said, tearing up a little. _Bingo._

"Hey. It's okay. We will find him. My names Beth." I say, and give her my hand while I wheel us away from the display. I looked around as best I could from my lowered vantage point for any of my family. I spotted Thor's blonde head by the popcorn machine.

"Hey Point-Break!" I called. He turned around, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth. Upon seeing Emily, he set down the bag and walked slowly over, kneeling in front of her.

"Hello child. My name is Thor. What is the matter?" he asked softly, smiling at her.

She glanced at me, slightly frightened by the giant stature and deep voice of my brother. I nodded encouragingly at her, and she turned back to face Thor.

"My name is Emily, and I am lost. But, you're a superhero, so you can help me, right?" she asked, staring up at him with her big eyes.

Thor chuckled softly. "Yes, Emily. It would be my honor to help you." he said, and stood up and held out his hand. He added to the theatrics by bowing to her. I rolled my eyes.

Emily giggled and curtsied. She put her tiny hand in Thor's large one. "Let's go find my daddy!" she declared, and began tugging him away. I laughed as I rolled after them.

"Daddy! Daddy! Where are you?" she yelled, not frightened anymore because of her new friend. Thor laughed.

After a minute, a man appeared from behind a shelf, looking very frazzled. He spotted Emily, rushing over and scooping her up. "There you are!" he exclaimed, hugging her tight. "You made your dad very worried..."

She looked crestfallen for a second before perking up. "I'm sorry Daddy...but look who I found! Beth and Thor!" said, and pointed at us.

His eyes widened in surprise and then he smiled. "Thank you very much!" he said, and shook our hands. "The Avengers really are always there to save the day, I suppose."

"Of course, sir." Thor replied. He turned to Emily, who was watching us from her father's arms. "Make sure and stay close by your father, Emily. He loves you very much."

She nodded again. "I will Thor!" Her dad walked away, carrying her.

I turned around and wheeled away, Thor following. "That was cute. Who knew you had such a way with kids?" I joked.

Thor laughed. "I have always enjoyed spending time with children. Last time I saw Natasha, she was near the stuffed animals."

Before we could find her, the rest of my family including the Black Widow walked up. Clint was carrying a giant yellow bear. It was wearing a t-shirt that said "Get Well Beary Soon!". I rolled my eyes and laughed.

Natasha smiled. "It was Tony and Clint's idea." she commented.

* * *

The next week went by quickly. Each day Joseph and I would get stronger. I was becoming less depressed. I could walk on my own for 30 feet without getting tired.

I walked into the room and slowly got into bed. It had been a long day with the physical therapist. Lots of squats. Lots.

Joseph saw me struggle a little and chuckled. "Hard day?" He jokingly asked, adjusting his oxygen tube.

I laughed, pulling the covers over me. "Yeah. My legs are on fire. How are you?" I asked.

"Okay I guess. Still don't remember you or our kidnapping...goodnight Beth." Joseph said bluntly and promptly turned out our lamp.

_Hard day for everyone I suppose._ I thought as I turned over. Sleep hit me like a brick.

...

I woke up to the sound of muffled crying. It took me a second to register that it was coming from Joseph. I turned on the lamp.

"Joseph?" I whispered. He didn't say anything or stop crying. I got out of bed and into my chair. Even though I could walk a little, it provided comfort and extra stability. I slowly wheeled over to the side of his bed. He turned away from me when I got close.

I sighed. "Joseph, please. Talk to me. Let me help you. We're in this together, right?" I asked.

Joseph remained still for a little longer, and then turned back to face me. His face and eyes were red and puffy. He wouldn't make eye contact.

"I'm terrified, Beth." He confessed. His voice raspy. He sat up it bed. "I'm never going to remember it, huh? It's been over a week and I haven't made any progress. It's unbearable being stuck in a hospital and not having any memory of what put me in here."

"Maybe...maybe it's better that you don't remember anything...I have PTSD and I'm depressed. My life will never be the same..." I say, choking up. Tears filled my eyes.

"I'd rather remember! I rather know why I'm here!" Joseph said, shouting a little and waving his hands around wildly. "My amnesia is destroying me! It...it kills me to look at you and only feel a tiny wave of recognition. I feel enough to know I'm supposed to care about you! A whole lot! But I can't because my mind tells me we're strangers!" He finished, crying again.

Tears were flowing freely down my cheeks. Joseph put his head in his hands and was shaking. It was so hard to see him so broken like this. I reached out and squeezed his arm. "Shhhh. Shhhh, Joseph." I said, trying to calm him down a little. "It's okay...it's alright..."

He stopped shaking after a minute or two. He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. I put my hands in my lap.

"Sorry I woke you up..." he said, giving me a sideways glance.

I barked a harsh laugh. "I've had worse. Besides, my meds keep me up sometimes..." I replied.

"Well...I going back to sleep...thanks. I mean it." Joseph said, and scooted down so his head rested on his pillow.

I smiled a little. "You're welcome..." I said, and was surprised to hear a snore from my friend. _I guess emotional trauma really tires a guy out..._

I watched Joseph's sleeping face for a minute, figuring he had stared at me so much lately that it was my turn. The only sound was the whir of our various machines. His eyebrows were creased.

I looked down and saw his hand. _Eh, what the heck. _I slowly grasped his hand, rubbing his knuckles with my thumb. A yawn escaped me and my eyes fluttered closed. Before I could stop myself, I had fallen asleep, still holding Joseph's hand.

* * *

"Beth. Beth!" Joseph exclaimed, jostling me awake.

My head shot up and I blinked hard a few times, trying to focus. "What is it?" I asked, yawning. It took me a second to realized that I was still holding his hand. I blushed and tried to take it out of his grasp, but Joseph squeezed it tighter.

He was staring at our clasped hands like it was the Holy Grail. "I remember..." he mumbled in awe, but I didn't quite hear him.

"What?" I asked, confused and becoming worried by the second. The meds we were on weren't exactly Tylenol.

"I remember." he repeated, louder, and this time he was smiling. He looked at me, and tears were making his eyes shiny, but he didn't cry. "I remember! Everything! Every single thing." he said, becoming more excited. He tried standing up, but I made him stay in his bed, giggling a little. He was so overwhelmed with joy I figured he would try running down the hall shouting the good news.

He placed his hand on top of ours and stared at me, smiling. "Most of all, I remember you. All about you. From the moment I met you in the cells, I remember every single thing we went through!" he exclaimed.

I was grinning from ear to ear. "I don't even know what to say...I can't believe it." I spoke, shaking my head.

"You know how Dr. Rosetta said that my memories could be triggered? Well, I woke up, and I saw you holding my hand." he explained, and blushed a bit. "And suddenly, everything came back. I was hit over the head with a wave of memories. Some of them were frightening, like when we were under the influence of DT-78X. But some of them were good, like when we first met and were trying to figure out how we knew each other. Beth, I can't describe how this feels..." he said.

Abruptly, he leaned in and kissed me. On the mouth. At first, I didn't know how to function, but once I regained control of myself, I kissed him back. It was simple and sweet and perfect. We laughed against each other's lips when our heart monitors starting beeping faster. I broke away, albeit a little regrettably.

Joseph looked a little hurt. I laughed "Don't you think we should tell the others? You're mother, perhaps?" I asked.

Joseph's eyes widened. "I almost forgot!" he said and frantically searched for his remote. He couldn't find it under the tangle of blankets.

"Forget that!" I said and wheeled to the door, opening it and shoving my chair into the hallway. A nurse looked up from her clipboard behind the desk.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern filling her voice at a patient ram her wheel-chaired self into the hall at four in the morning.

"Nothing. We're great actually. Can you get the Avengers, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill?" I asked, grinning.


	8. Sister-In-Law

**Here is the end to an AMAZING writing journey. This was my longest story by far (OVER 16,000 WORDS, HOLY COW!), and ya'll made it special. This was also the hardest story I have EVER had to write. I hope to be doing more fluffy stuff from now on.**

**I want to give a special thanks to Captain Curiosity, who PM'd me all throughout this story and gave me many helpful reviews and ideas. It's people like you that make writing fan-fiction fun and worthwhile. **

**I kinda feel like I am giving a piece of myself to y'all with the end of this story. I plan on writing many more. Thank you again for reading and reviewing! Y'all are the best!**

* * *

A week had gone by, and Joseph and I were almost at perfect health. We were going to be spending our last night in the hospital tonight. After that, we would be going our separate ways. We were sitting next to each other where I had watched the traffic days before. This time, neither of us were in our wheelchairs. We had been talking for a while about random things. I had been telling him stories from my time living with the Avengers.

"The spider was how big?" Joseph asked, stunned. I held up my hands about a foot apart. He gasped.

I chuckled. "It was HUGE. Tony got really mad at all the craters I had created in the floor trying to squish it with Thor's hammer..."

Joseph laughed. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, looking out the window. "So...what happens next? Between us, I mean..." Joseph asked, pulling me out of my daydream.

I scrunched my brows. "To tell you the truth?" I replied, still looking out the window. "I hadn't thought about it, really. I was pretty much focused on what was going on here at the hospital."

Joseph grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I turned my head to look at him. The sunlight was shining in his eyes, making them really, really blue. "I really, really like you Beth. And, it's not like we can just walk away from what's happened to us for the past month like we aren't changed. We are connected, whether we want to be or not." he said.

I sighed. "I really like you too, Joseph. A whole lot. And, we are connected. But...I don't think I can be in a relationship with you right now...Our lives are just too messed up and crazy right now. _I'm _too messed up and crazy right now. I need to sort everything out for myself, get back on track, as back to normal as I can be before I focus on anybody else. You understand, right?" I asked, praying that he did and that I didn't hurt him.

Joseph laughed out loud. "You know what? I was going to say the same thing...maybe when our messes are sorted out, we can see where are and try a relationship out. It's not like we won't be able to keep in touch. Sound good?" he suggested, squeezing my hand.

Relief flooded through my body. "Sounds great." I answered with a smile. I kissed his cheek and rested my head on his shoulder, soaking in the moment. Joseph stroked my hair for a bit before putting his arm around me.

_I'll definitely keep in touch._ I thought, closing my eyes.

...

All the adults were watching the pair at the end of the hallway. They couldn't believe the recovery their children had made. They all had been searching for Beth and Joseph so they could take their meds, and it was Clint who remembered and suggested this spot.

"I hope this doesn't last. I don't want Hill for a sister in law..." Tony joked. Maria slapped him on the arm as everyone laughed.


End file.
